Switch



Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES 7 1,518,888 PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK O. WINKLEHAUS, OF NEW YQRK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB. TO METROPOLITANELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEXV JERSEY.

SWITCH.

Application filed July 7,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK O. l/VINKLE- HAUS, acitizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New York city, in the borough of Queens and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments inSwitches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to electric snap switches and has for an objectto provide an improved switch in which the parts may be produced largelyby stamping the same from sheet metal and forming the same into thedesired shapes by suitable dies; in which the parts may be expeditiouslyassembled; in

which the number of parts is a. minimum; and which is simple, durable,compact and inexpensive. Other objects and advantages will be apparentfrom the following description of an embodiment of the invention and thenovel features will be particularly pointed out in claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through a switch constructed inaccordance with this invention Fig. 2 is a plan of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section through the same take substantially along the line33 of Figure 1; a

Fig. at is a sectional elevation through the same taken substantiallyalong the line l l of Figure 2;

Fig. 5 is an elevation similar to Figure 4:, but showing the parts inanother position; and g Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the rockermember.

V In the illustrated embodiment of the in tion, the switch device issupported within a receptacle 1 of porcelain or other insulatingmaterial. The open faceof the receptacle is attached to one face of theplate 2 by means of which the switch and receptacle are supported flushin a wall. A chan nel or U-shaped bracket member 3 is secured by itscross bottom wall to the bottom wall of the receptacle 1 in a suit-ablemanner, such as by screws t which pass upwardly through the bottom wallof the receptacle and have threaded engagement with the bracket member,the heads of the screws l being counter sunk for a short distance intothe bottom wall of the receptacle. The countersunk recess above eachscrew 4 is filled with a suit- 1922. Serial No. 573,389.

able pitch or other insulating material, as well known in the art.

The bracket member is cut away in the bottom wall thereof, the cutextending into the side walls, for the purpose of providing an elongatedrecess or notch 5' for a purpose to be explained. The bracket member isconveniently formed of stamped sheet metal in which an aperture will bestamped at the time of stamping the same from stock material, so thatwhen folded into the form of a U or channel member the aperture willform the notch 5 in the lower part thereof and intermediate its ends.The side arms of the bracket member are provided adjacent their upperends with aligned apertures 6 which serve as bearings for integral lugextensions 7 provided upon the arms of a U-shaped crank member 8 andextending into the apertures. This crank member embraces transverselythe lower part of the channel bracket member with the cross arms of thecrank member extending across the notch 5.

The crank member is preferably formed by stamping the same from sheetmaterial such as brass, the lugs 7 being formed as integral extensionsof the crank member duringlthe stamping operation. The ends of the notchor recess 5 in the lower wall ofthe bracket member serve to limit therotary movement of the crank member upon the lugs 7 as bearings.

A rocker member 9 is provided, generally of U-shape, with each arm ofthe U broadened at its free end and having at the limits of thebroadened part apertures 10 for the attachment of operating means. Therocker member is inverted and in telescopic relation with the arms ofthe bracket member 3 and the lower or end edge of each arm of the rockermember is provided with a notch or slot 11 which is adapted tofit overand have bearing upon lugs 12 of the channel bracket member. The lugs 12are preferably formed by striking the same inwardly toward one anotherfrom the side arms of the bracket member and are preferably struck outduring the stamping operation of the channel member. fore, rocks uponthe lugs 12 as bearings within the channel member, and the crank mem her8 oscillates in the apertures 6 of the channel member but extendsexteriorly of the bracket member.

A hook 1. is provided upon the cross arm The rocker member, there-- 14connecting the side arms of the rocker member, and a helical spring 15is connected at its ends and under tension to the hook 13 of the rockermember and to the cross arm of the crank member 8. As the rocker memberis shifted upon the lugs 12 as bearings,

the spring 15 will be shifted through the plane of the crank member ineither direction and will snap the crank member alternately to thelimits of movement permitted by the slot. The spring 13 also serves toyieldingly hold the rocker member upon the lugs 12.

The crank member is provided upon one edge with lugs 16 which extend inthe plane thereof. A suitable switch blade 17 some what V-shaped, isriveted upon the lugs 16 so as to be oscillated with the crank member.Contact posts or members 18 and 19 are secured to the receptacle 1, uponopposite ends thereof, in a suitable manner, such as by screws 20 and21, respectively, which pass upwardly through the receptacle and havethreaded engagement with the contact posts or members 18 and 19. Thesecontact posts or members are formed of strips of 2 sheet metal, such asbrass, which are stamped in the desired shape and size, and twisted soas to place the contact ends at right angles to the other ends andparallel with and in the plane of the cooperating ends of the switchblade, whereby when the posts are attached to the receptacle by thescrews 20 and 21, the contact ends will extend into the path of movementof the ends of the switch blade so as to be engaged and bridged by theblade. Screws 22 and 23 are threaded through the anchored ends of thecontact posts and extend loosely into recesses 2 1 and 25 of thereceptacle. The screws 22 and 23 serve as binding posts for theconnection of circuit wires 26 and 27 to the contact posts 18 and 19.

The apertures 10 in the corresponding ends of the rocker member arealigned and Y are provided with narrow slots 28 which, with theapertures 10, form key hole slots for the attachment thereto of theoperating push buttons 29. The push buttons 29 are provided with sheetmetal extensions 30 which, at their inner ends, have integral, flattransversely extending ears 31 which may be passed flatwise through thenarrow slots 28 into the apertures 10 and then rotated into thepositions shown in Figures 1, t and 5, in which positions, the width ofthe ears prevents removal of the push button extensions 30 from theapertures 10. The push buttons 29 pass through apertures 32 in the plate2 by means of which they are guided in their reciprocating movements inshifting the rocker member.

In the operation of the switch, the button 29 which projects furthestfrom the anchormg plate 2, is pushed inwardly, which 6 36 a rockingmovement of the rocker member 9 so as to carry the helical spring 15through the plane of the crank member 8, whereupon the spring snaps thecrank member to the other limit of its movement in the slot or notch 5.This movement carries the switch blade through a given arcuate movement,so as to move into or out of bridging relation with the contact members18 and 19. In the position of the parts shown in full lines in Figures 1and 4:, the switch is in closed position, that is, the switch bladebridges the contact members 18 and 19 and thus electrically connects thecircuit wires 26 and 27. If now the push button 29 at the right isdepressed, the rocker member will shift the helical spring 15 throughthe plane of the crank member, whereupon the spring will snap the crankmember to the opposite end of the notch 5, as shown in dotted lines inFigure 1 and in full lines in Figure 5 and shift the contact blade outof contact with the contact members 18 and 19 which opens the circuitbetween wires 26 and 27.

It will be obvious that all of the parts of the switch, with theexception of the receptacle, manually engaged ends of the push buttons29, and the helical spring 15 may be formed from sheet metal, such asbrass, and by stamping machinery at a very low cost, and that the partsare quickly and easily assembled by relatively unskilled help.

It will be obvious that various changes in the details and arrangementof parts herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explainingthe nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the artwithin the principle and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a snap switch, an integral U-shaped bracket member of sheet metal,the arms of the member having lugs struck out therefrom and extendingfrom the inner faces toward one another in alignment, and also havingaligned apertures, a rocker member having depending arms disposedbetween the arms of the U-shaped member, the dependings arms havingnotches therein which pass over the lugs and fulcrum thereon, a flat,stamped metal crank member embracing the bracket with aligned integraltongues extending into said apertures to fulcrum therein for a limitedmovement, a switch blade operable by the crank member, and a springconnected under tension at its ends to the rocker member and the crankmember. whereby when the rocker member is shifted to carry the springthrough the plane of the crank member in either direc tion, the springwill snapthe crank member to the other limit of its movement.

2. In a snap switch, an integral U-shaped bracket member of sheet metalhaving in its side arms aligned apertures, a. flat crank member formedofstamped sheet metal with the arms thereof embracing and extending alongthe side arms of the bracket member, said arms of the crank memberhaving integral lugs from its edges which enter the aligned aperturesand serve as bearings, a switch blade operable by the crank member, andmeans for alternately stressing the crank member in opposite directionsto cause operations of the crank member.

3. In a snap switch, a U-shaped bracket member of sheet metal having anotch in the bottom and extending into the side walls, and having in itsarms aligned apertures, a flat crank member formed by stamped sheetmetal embracing the lower part of the bracket member with the cross armof the crank member extending across the notch from side to side of thebracket member, the edges of the side arms of the crank member havingintegral lugs extending into said apertures and having bearings therein,the ends of the notch limiting rotary movement of the crank member to agiven are, and means including a spring for stressing the crank memberalternately to the limits of its movement.

4. In a snap switch, a U-shaped bracket member of sheet metal having anotch in the bottom and extending into the side walls,

and having in its arms aligned apertures, a flat crank member formed ofstamped sheet metal embracing the lower part of the bracket member withthe cross arm of the crank member extending across the notch from sideto side of the bracket member, the edges of the side arms of the crankmember having integral lugs extending into said apertures and havingbearings therein, the ends of the notch limiting rotary movement of thecrank member to a given arc, a U- shaped rocker member of sheet metalinverted and disposed between the sides of the bracket member, the sidearms of the bracket member having integral lugs struck out therefrom andextending toward one another in alignment from the inner faces, thedepending arms of the rocker member having notches in their lower edges,which fit over and have bearing on said lugs, a spring connected betweenthe rocker member and the crank member whereby movement of the rockermember will carry the spring through the plane of the crank member andcause a snapping operation thereof, and a switch blade operable by saidcrank member.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

FREDERICK O. VVINKLEHAUS.

